• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Salary budgets stabilize, pushing HR toward strategic pay decisions

02/02/2026
Salary budgets may no longer be climbing, but they are far from operating on autopilot. New survey data shows employers entering 2026 with greater confidence in their pay planning, shifting away from reactive increases and toward more deliberate compensation strategies focused on performance, retention and internal equity.

Bipartisan bill could extend WOTC for 5 years, add eligibility

01/12/2026
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit was conceived to encourage hiring applicants who otherwise might be overlooked and give them a chance to rejoin the workforce and become productive, tax-paying members of society.

Minimum wage hikes are here

01/05/2026
While the federal minimum wage has not risen since being set at $7.25 per hour in 2009, many state and local governments have implemented increases to keep up with rising costs. Here are some of the increases effective Jan. 1.

Time to announce your 2026 holiday schedule to employees

12/15/2025
Make it a policy to post your company’s holiday schedule every year. You should also clearly state your policy on paid versus unpaid holidays in your handbook.

Employees want more than information about their benefits

12/15/2025
Workers say they understand their benefits better than they did a year ago, yet fewer feel good about what those benefits provide. That tension sits at the center of new findings from global advisory firm WTW, which reports a widening gap between benefit awareness and satisfaction.

Worried about possible pay inequity? Here’s what to do

12/08/2025
Employers who want to fix the problem may choose to look for inequity and then equalize pay. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. Here are the crucial steps.

Starbucks to pay $38.9 million for NYC labor violations

12/08/2025
In a case that illustrates how much even minor wage-and-hour violations can rack up huge bills, Starbucks cafés in New York City will pay over $38.9 million to workers shorted on pay or otherwise harmed by poor wage-and-hour practices.

Supporting employee mental health when year-end pressure peaks

12/08/2025
December often intensifies stress tied to mental health, caregiving and finances, causing employees to look to HR for clarity, support and understanding.

New year brings new employment laws

11/24/2025
It’s that time of year—2025 will soon appear in the rearview mirror, and when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, new state laws will go into effect. Here’s a summary of some of those laws that may impact your operations.

Health-care costs continue upward climb

11/24/2025
The 2026 Global Medical Trends survey from WTW, a risk and people advisory firm, shows little relief ahead for employer-sponsored health care in the U.S.